Thicker Than Water
by Roschelle Templar
Summary: An accident while out on a job leads to Siegfried hiring a temporary assistant and Tristan worrying about his future in the practice.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

 **Author's Note:** This takes place at about midway through season two of the TV series.

* * *

James figured the problem began with that poor cow who had the misfortune of ending up on Sidlow's farm.

A call had come in early that morning from Sidlow. Another one of his cows was not doing well under his usual treatment of absurd home remedies. This inevitably meant that someone had to come out and inform him that there was nothing veterinary science could do to save it. As if Sidlow wasn't already convinced of that anyway.

James hadn't exactly been eager to go, but it was Siegfried's turn to stay in the surgery. Tristan was even less eager to go, but Siegfried had insisted that it would be a "valuable learning experience" for his brother. Tristan had countered that it was just punishment for his latest hangover, an assessment James agreed with even if he didn't say it out loud.

"Nonsense, my dear boy," Siegfried had insisted. "Once you become a qualified vet, God willing, you will eventually have to learn to deal with the Sidlows of this world. Better to begin that learning now rather than put it off until it can no longer be avoided."

"Oh come off it, Siegfried," James sighed. "You and I both know that he's just having us come out there to put some wretched animal out of its misery. He wouldn't call us if the poor thing had a chance."

"More than likely, James, more than likely," Siegfried nodded sagely. "Still, hope does springs eternal, does it not?"

* * *

Unfortunately, James' prediction had turned out to be the correct one.

The cow had a virus that was not only killing it, but was also driving it mad. Granted, this time, neither Sidlow's remedies nor a timely application of veterinary medicine would have done much good. So at least James did not have to swallow down the usual frustration over not being called in time.

Still, there was the usual atmosphere at the Sidlow farm to be dealt with, including the silent staring from Sidlow's children from the corner of the barn.

"They're a spooky lot, James," Tristan had mumbled at one point while they were fetching some things from the car. "Even when I'm not looking, I can feel their eyes on me."

"If it makes you feel any better, Tris, it's me they're really watching. I'm the one who just told them that I'll have to put down that miserable cow before it infects the whole herd."

"No, it doesn't really make me feel better, but thank you. It was a good try anyway."

The two of them trudged back into the barn to use a humane killer that would put it out of its misery quickly. However, somehow, the cow seemed to know what was coming and decided to fight for its life one last time. Just as James had gotten close to the head, it started to thrash about swishing its head back and forth and kicking out with unsteady feet.

"Watch out, James!"

James leapt backwards just as the cow was about to deliver at brutal kick to his stomach. However, he also ended up falling backwards onto his backside right in the cow's path. Tristan started to run over to get him out of the way, but ended up getting kicked square in the chest. He let out a strangled cry and crumpled to the ground.

"Tris!"

* * *

"Definitely cracked ribs," Doctor Allinson declared once they had gotten Tristan to his office. "Although, from the sound of it, he was lucky they weren't completely broken."

"Feels like they are," Tristan hissed as the doctor ran his hands over his abdomen. "You sure they're not?"

"Quite sure," Allinson said. "Mind you, I'm sure they hurt well enough just the same. Still, while they might just be cracked, I'd rather be safe than sorry. So I'm recommending three days bed rest and then no strenuous work for at least three weeks after that."

"That's all we need," James huffed. "You unable to do rounds with all the calving that's going on right now. Siegfried will love that."

Tristan pouted. "It's not like I did it on purpose, you know. If all I wanted to do was get out of a little work, I know at least a dozen easier ways to go about it. Like that time I…."

He immediately stopped and leaned forward, groaning while clutching at his ribs which Allinson was in the process of taping up. Looking at the darkening spread of bruises on Tris' chest and the pain in his eyes, James was certain that Tris truly hadn't wanted this to happen. A wave of sympathy washed over him, and he patted Tristan's arm.

"Don't worry about it, Tris. We'll get by."

* * *

Siegfried, however, had been far less optimistic.

"Of all the possible times you could choose to make us short-handed," he grumbled. "You would pick now. The worst possible time."

"Have a heart, Siegfried," Tristan protested weakly. "Besides, it's your fault anyway."

"My fault!?"

"Yes, James could have handled it on his own. There was no good reason for me to be there."

Siegfried eyed him critically. "I sent you up there so you could learn about dealing with difficult clients. Not so you could get yourself taken out of commission at one of the busiest times this practice has ever seen. And why weren't you more careful around that blasted cow anyway?"

"Hang on, Siegfried," James said. "That was just a bit of bad luck."

Siegfried glanced at James over the rims of his glasses. "Oh James, this isn't the first time my little brother has had this sort of 'bad luck' happen to him. The sort that gets him out of doing any real work."

Then Siegfried turned his attention back toward his brother. During this conversation, Tristan had grown pale, his breaths coming out in shallow gasps to avoid jostling his ribs any more than necessary.

In that moment, a complete change came over Siegfried. He jumped up from the couch and took Tristan by the arm.

"Come on, let's get you upstairs and into bed," he said softly. "I'll assume Doctor Allinson gave you something for the pain." Tristan nodded. "Good. I'll have Mrs. Hall bring you something up later. You just rest now, dear brother."

Siegfried continued to reassure Tristan as they walked out of the room and climbed the steps together, leaving James to marvel yet again at how quickly Siegfried's demeanor could change from irritated blustering to tender solicitude toward Tristan. Not that it surprised him anymore. One only had to live with the Farnon brothers for a short time to realize that the bickering and teasing hid a complex, but caring fraternal bond.

* * *

Later that night, James shared a drink with Siegfried in the living room while they discussed their current situation.

"Ordinarily, James, we could just keep Tristan in the surgery and try to handle the workload ourselves," Siegfried mused. "But I foresee us only getting busier over the next week and little brother is probably not going to be able to help as much as he normally could. We need to get some extra help now if we're going to keep our heads above water."

"Agreed, but what can we do?" James asked. "It's probably too short of notice to get one of the students to help us."

Siegfried sipped at his whisky. "Yes. But…I believe…we might be able to do something about it after all."

He sat his drink down and jumped up to rush out into the hallway. James got up and followed him.

"What are you thinking, Siegfried?" James asked as he watched Siegfried pick up the telephone.

"I was just remembering about something Angus Grier told me."

James scowled. "Oh yes. Him."

Siegfried chuckled. "Come now, James, really. Anyway, I remember him telling me just last week that he's got too many assistants right now to give them a decent amount of work. So I imagine he could spare one of them to help us out for the next month or so. I'm going to give him a ring and see if he can recommend someone."

* * *

As it turned out, Grier had an assistant who was eager for the extra work, a final year vet student named Thomas Blackmore. Blackmore was a tall, barrel-chested young man with dark hair and eyes. He had high marks in veterinary college and was looking to get additional experience with farm animals. Plus, he was able to come to Skeldale the next morning.

Blackmore showed up just after breakfast and appeared to be impressed with Skeldale, the surgery, and with Siegfried in particular. Then, the phone rang and Siegfried left James alone with Blackmore who was still pacing around the surgery. Once Siegfried was gone, Blackmore moved close to him.

"I still can't believe my luck," he said, giddy. "Siegfried Farnon is known all over the Dales as a horse expert and that's my area of interest too. And I can't wait to spend some more time out on the farms. Working at Mr. Grier's practice was all well and good, but…well…."

"He's not exactly very welcoming to young vets," James said with a sympathetic smile. "Well, Siegfried is definitely someone you can learn a lot about horses from. And you'll be getting some experience with farm animals, I can promise you that. Have you ever worked on a farm before? Aside from student work?"

"A little," Thomas answered. "Not nearly enough. I'm from Manchester originally, you see. Although, when I was a kid, I used to spend my summer at my uncle's farm here in the Dales. So I do know a bit about what it's like up here. Well, anyway, I'm here to learn and I'm sure there's a lot Mr. Farnon can teach me."

James nodded. As they talked, he couldn't shake the notion that Blackmore was trying too hard. Then he thought about when he first arrived in the Darrowby when he was looking for a job just after getting out of veterinary college and had met Siegfried for the first time. Looking back on it, James was certain that he had been more than a little awkward and eager to please himself and was willing to give Blackmore the benefit of the doubt for now.

"You know, it's really hard to believe that Tristan is his brother," Blackmore said, his tone still casual.

"Oh? What do you mean?"

"Fail-Again Farnon," Blackmore chuckled. "That's what some of us call him around school. Mind you, he's a nice guy and just the sort you'd want to take on a pub crawl. But honestly, I don't know why he's wasting his time with veterinary school. He keeps failing his courses and even when he does pass, it's only by the skin of his teeth. It's as if he learns next to nothing in his classes."

James felt his jaw tighten. Yes, he knew that Tris struggled with some aspects of his studies, but he had also seen plenty of evidence that Tristan had thoroughly absorbed a large body of knowledge from his classes and fieldwork. In fact, there were a couple of times when he was forced to admit that Tristan's abilities had surpassed his own.

"Compare that to Siegfried Farnon who had an excellent record in veterinary school and became a horse expert," Blackmore added. "And now he has this thriving practice in Darrowby. I tell you, I don't see how they could be more dissimilar."

"Well nobody's perfect," James said with more than a little annoyance in his tone. "We all have our weak points."

Blackmore, however, didn't seem to notice James' irritation. "Yes, yes, I suppose we do." He turned to give James another congenial smile. "That's why I jumped at the chance to work here even though I was supposed to be going on holiday with the family soon. I know I need experience and I'm sure I'll learn a lot here."

James didn't smile back. He wasn't sure if Blackmore meant anything personal with his dismissive remarks about Tristan, but it was still impossible to overlook the offhand attack of his best friend.

"I'm sure if you're willing to put in the work, you'll get something out of being here," he said.

Blackmore flashed him another smile that seemed to James to be rather conspiratorial.

"Oh, I fully intend to, Mr. Herriot."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Over the next couple of days, James and Siegfried went over the schedules and procedures for both surgery and call-outs with Blackmore in-between their own rushing around to jobs. To start, they mainly gave him basic chores in the surgery so they could concentrate on the actual work out around Darrowby.

James was certain that Blackmore was disappointed by this, but Blackmore never let it slip that he was. Instead, he occupied his time whenever Siegfried was around by picking Siegfried's brain on various horse related matters. Rather than be annoyed by this, Siegfried appeared happy to share his knowledge and give Blackmore some tips he could use when he finally did get to do some fieldwork.

On the third day after Blackmore's arrival, Tristan was well enough to stay out of bed although he was still restricted on the type of work he could do. Upon seeing Blackmore for the first time, he didn't appear to be especially happy.

"Hello Thomas," he said, his voice polite but distant. "Fancy seeing you here."

Blackmore, on the other hand, was nothing but cordial. "Hello Tristan. Heard you were under the weather. A cow, wasn't it? Yes, bad luck there."

A half-hearted smile appeared on Tristan's face. "Yes, I suppose so."

James couldn't help but notice how awkward and uncomfortable the atmosphere had become and was about to try to do something about it when Siegfried walked into the room.

"You see, Thomas, my little brother does have an unfailing knack to attract calamity."

Tristan glowered at him, but remained silent. Siegfried chuckled and patted his arm.

"My dear boy, stop sulking. Now, how are the ribs? Still sore, I take it?"

"Yes, rather," Tristan said, rubbing his sides slightly. "It's not too bad today though."

"Good, good," Siegfried replied. "Then I think it's time you went back to some light work. You can man the surgery. Thomas will assist you."

Both Tristan's and Blackmore's faces immediately fell, a fact that didn't escape James' notice.

"Siegfried, I can handle surgery on my own," Tristan insisted. "I'm not a complete…."

His tirade was cut off by a moan, his hands going back to his sides as he hunched over slightly. Siegfried frowned, his eyes full of concern as he went over to check on his brother.

Tristan, however, waved him away. "It's nothing, Siegfried. Just a little twinge is all. I'll be all right, honestly. And I can handle the surgery by myself."

Siegfried raised his eyebrows, and James could relate to the surprise he imagined Siegfried was feeling. Normally, Tris was more than willing to play up any sickness or injury to gain sympathy or get out of doing any work, especially the boring or particularly dirty jobs.

"Nonsense, dear brother, you heard what the doctor said," Siegfried replied. "Until you've fully recovered, you're to take it easy. Something you should be quite familiar with. Thomas can help you with anything that might be too physically taxing for you at this point."

James glanced over and saw a growing disappointment forming on Blackmore's face.

"Mr. Farnon…."

"Thomas, I think we can move beyond so much formality," Siegfried interrupted with a smile. "Call me Siegfried."

Blackmore coughed. "Right, thank you, Mr…Siegfried. But, I was rather hoping to get some farm animal work in while I was here."

"And you shall have it, I promise you," Siegfried said, waving at hand at him. "But for the next few days, I need you to assist Tristan in the surgery. Additional practical experience with small animals is always useful. View this as an opportunity, and I believe you will find your time very well spent."

Blackmore did not look completely convinced, but he did his best to cover his apprehension up with a wan smile and a nod of assent. Meanwhile, Tristan still did not look pleased as he motioned for Blackmore to follow him to the surgery.

"Ah James, I really like his initiative," Siegfried said after they had left. "Let's hope some of that attitude will rub off onto little brother."

"He is a hard worker," James conceded. "And he seems to get on well with the clients."

"Precisely what I thought," Siegfried said. "I think he's going to work out very well indeed for these next few weeks."

James agreed with him, but not without reservations. There was still something he disliked and distrusted in Blackmore's manner overall. Then there was his withering, and in James' mind, unfair assessment of Tris. Still, there was nothing else overt that he could fault the man on, so he decided it was best to wait and see if he was just overacting.

* * *

The next week went by with little incident. Other than James and Siegfried having to rush out to help out with yet one problematic calving after another. It seemed that all the cows in Darrowby decided to go into labor and have complications at once. The two of them barely spent enough time at Skeldale to eat and catch a few hours of sleep before they had to take off again.

During this time, Tris continued to recover and make sure that the surgery was manned at all times, usually with Blackmore helping him. Surgery hadn't been as busy as the farm work was these days, but it hadn't been entirely idle either.

Nevertheless, when Tristan was finally well enough to watch the surgery on his own, James wasn't a bit surprised by Blackmore's relief. At that point, Siegfried usually offered to take Blackmore around on his rounds whenever the student was released from surgery duty.

James didn't get much of a chance to see Tris that week or the one after. He was sure that Tristan was ready to climb the walls due to being stuck at Skeldale most of the time, but he agreed with Siegfried that it was better to leave him there than have Tris risk injuring himself again.

He was so busy, he didn't pay much mind to a change in the mood at Skeldale. At least, not until it was brought to his attention.

* * *

"James, do you know what's bothering Tris these days?"

James looked up from his plate and into the concerned eyes of his wife sitting across from him. The two of them were sharing dinner in their attic rooms, a rare treat here of late.

"Probably feels like a bit of a prisoner, I imagine," he answered. "What with his always having to mind surgery and not being able to do much else because of those ribs."

"Yes, I thought so too. At least at first," Helen said. "But then, oh, I don't know James, he seems…preoccupied. Like he has something on his mind that he can't get away from."

James paused and looked at her thoughtfully. "Now that you mention it…he does seem rather off-color. Even accounting for being cooped up here all the time. Although, I'm sure some of it has to be from dealing with those ribs. He did take a very bad blow to the chest, Helen. Tris was lucky that his ribs weren't shattered."

"I suppose that would make him feel a bit down," Helen replied. "But James, you know that Tris usually doesn't dwell on his problems. And I can't help but wonder if there's something he's worried about."

James smiled at her and scooped up another bite of food. "All right, I'll talk to him. And maybe that's all he needs: a chance to share a drink and commiserate over his lot right now. I'm sure he'll be fine."

* * *

Three days later, James was carrying over a pair of pints to the table where Tristan sat beaming at him. Calving had finally slowed down, giving James some much needed free time in the evenings. As for Tris, all that was needed to persuade him to join him on a trip to the Drovers was the offer to buy the first couple of rounds.

James sat down and sipped at his pint while Tristan gulped down a third of it in one go.

"Thank you, James," he said, grinning as he sat the glass down. "I feel like I haven't been here in years what with me always being chained to that bloody surgery."

"I'm sure you'll be back on field jobs before too long," James laughed. "Siegfried is already starting to talk about sending someone to check on Dent's piglets in the near future. And I hear it's almost butchering time at Kit Bilton's farm again."

"Oh no," Tristan said, slumping down dramatically onto the table and covering his face with his hand. "I absolutely refuse this time, James. I mean it. The last thing I need right now are his crazed ramblings just because he gets so attached to his pigs. Probably would send me right over the edge."

"Something's biting you already then, I take it?" James asked. He took another couple of sips of his beer while he watched Tris silently stare into his own glass. Then Tristan drained down three quarters of what was left and sat his glass back down, a disheartened look on his face.

"It's Thomas. Surely you've noticed it by now, James. Or maybe you haven't. He's clever that way, you know. Always has been."

"I guess I haven't," James replied. "Well, other than him being a bit too eager, I suppose."

"That's it though, James. That's exactly it." Tris finished his drink and signaled for another one. "That's always how it starts when he wants something. He's so eager. Ready to please. So willing to do whatever it takes to get on everyone's good side. That means he's after something. I know. I've seen it before."

The barmaid came over with refills for the two of them. Tristan put a hold on his tirade and kept his gaze on the tabletop. James knew then that Tris must truly be agitated as he did not try to flirt with the barmaid even though she was both pretty and available.

It wasn't until James paid her and she went back to the bar that Tristan started talking again.

"A year ago, a friend of mine was trying to get some summer work at one of the other practices here in the Dales. You see, he'd been struggling with large animal stuff and really needed the work so what he kept trying to learn from books would sink in. Well, Thomas heard about the position and immediately latched onto Professor Tilson. Tilson was friends with the vet who owned the practice, you see. That was the only reason for it. And sure enough, Thomas got the job."

Tristan paused and drank half of his latest beer, slamming the glass onto the table when he was finished.

"And now, he's getting close to qualifying," he continued. "And I know what he's after this time."

"What? You think he's after a spot in the practice?"

"I don't think. I know he is, James. Knowing him, it's goes beyond just a job too."

"You mean a partnership," James replied. "But Tris, you'll be back to work before too long and he still has months before he'll be qualified. You can't really think Siegfried is going to give him a partnership."

"Why not?" Tristan said, his frown deepening. "Let's face it, Jim, Thomas is an absolute swine, but he's a likeable one. And he knows how to make people like him. He's not all that bad at being a vet either. Always got good marks in all his classes. And I know for a fact that he's been working on Siegfried all week with that charm of his."

"So maybe he's trying to butter up Siegfried a little. So what?" James said. "You and I both know that that doesn't really work any more than bullying does when Siegfried's made up his mind about something."

"That's just it, James. What if Siegfried has made up his mind…and not in a good way? Look, I know he didn't show it as much as he could have, but he was really mad about me failing my exams this last time. Worse, he was…disappointed."

Tristan finished what was in his glass and slumped down in his chair again. James rarely had seen Tristan look as dejected as he did then. As much as both of them dreaded Siegfried's bouts of temper, James knew that Tris took it much harder when Siegfried acted disappointed or indifferent to his brother's latest failings.

"And after Carmody…." Tris shrugged. "I know Siegfried would have liked him to stay on."

"Yeah, but we all knew there was no chance of that," James chuckled. "A guy like that in Darrowby? Can you imagine it?"

"I suppose not," Tristan said. For a moment, there was a ghost of a smile on his lips, but then his amusement vanished just as quickly as it appeared. "But for Thomas…a growing practice in Darrowby would suit him just fine. You know I'm right about this, James. And he's been working harder than usual to make this happen by making me out to be an oaf."

James thought back to what Blackmore had said to him on the day he arrived. It certainly fit in with Tris' theories about Blackmore's ambitions. Now James wished he'd given him a piece of his mind back then.

"Of course he's subtle about it," Tristan added. "He always is. But I've heard him go on to Siegfried about how hard it must be to be short-handed right now and how nice it would be if the problem could be solved permanently. That fiend even took credit for the work I've done in the surgery. Like Mrs. Ellison's cat. That job took me almost two hours, James, and then Blackmore made it seem like he did most of the work before I had a chance to tell Siegfried about it. And of course, Siegfried was all impressed by him."

Tristan stared at his glass again, probably debating whether or not to get another refill. After a moment's deliberation, a decision was made and Tris riffled through his pockets for the necessary coins.

"Come on, Tris," James said. "Siegfried might be impressed with Thomas, but that doesn't mean he's going to push you out of the practice. Granted, I'm sure he wishes you were qualified by now, but I know that he thinks a lot of your abilities. And besides, you know how it is. Blood is thicker than water and all that."

Tris gave him a sad smile. "Thanks James. I know you're trying to cheer me up and all. It's just…." Tristan shook his head. "Never mind. Let's have another round. My treat this time."

"Well, I'll not turn that down," James nodded, making sure to smile back.

For the rest of the evening, Tris did not say another word about the matter and did appear to be in better spirits. Despite that, James was certain that the only person who could really reassure Tristan was Siegfried. The problem was, Siegfried tended to stick to a policy of not letting Tristan know how much he thought of him and his work. Most of the time, James felt he understood Siegfried's reasoning for this approach even though he didn't always agree with it.

Right now though, James sorely wished that, just for once, Siegfried would let Tristan know what he actually thought of him as a vet, qualified or not.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Another two weeks went by with little incident. Business finally started to slow down to allow for a less hectic work day, and by the end of it, Tristan was finally well enough to start going out for farm jobs once in a while. Although, Siegfried did insist that Tristan accompany James whenever he did go out to make sure that he couldn't overdo things.

This suited James fine as he had become far less enamored with working with Blackmore after his talk with Tris. True, Blackmore continued to be hard-working and congenial around everyone, including Tristan. However, now that James had been clued into Blackmore's likely scheme, he did start to notice more of the little things that Tris had mentioned.

He saw how Blackmore would often offer his assistance while placing emphasis on the idea that the practice could use someone who "worked hard and didn't need minding" whenever he could. Then there was the way that Blackmore made sure to compliment Tristan on his ability to be social and amusing with the unspoken implication that those were his only strengths. Not to mention all the times that Blackmore would finagle a way to spend additional time with Siegfried out in the field or even around Skeldale.

Perhaps the most stinging of all to Tristan was that Siegfried wasn't taking him along to assist on jobs anymore and would take Blackmore instead. Of course, there was the practical reason that. Blackmore would only have a short time to get any sort of mentoring from Siegfried and needed to take advantage of it while he could.

That didn't change how disheartened Tristan was by this development though. Sure, Tris often whined and complained when it meant going out when the weather was freezing or in the early hours of the morning, but James knew that Siegfried taking the time to mentor him out in the field meant a lot to Tris even if Tris would never admit it to his brother's face. Having Blackmore take his place in what was a personal and meaningful aspect of his work hit Tristan especially hard.

None of these things meant much on its own, but when taken altogether, James could easily see a definite strategy for Blackmore to ingratiate himself into the practice. A strategy that involved disparaging and excluding Tristan as much as possible.

Thus, while he had no direct reason to hold any personal animosity toward Blackmore, James had no desire to spend any more time around him than was necessary. Granted, Blackmore did make a firm effort to get on his good side as well, but James did nothing to encourage his efforts out of loyalty to Tris.

Meanwhile, James also made sure to reassure Tristan as much as possible whenever they were out on jobs together or during evenings spent at the Drovers. For the most part, Tristan appeared to be acting normally, if also a bit quieter than usual. Despite his cheerful front though, James was certain that Tris was still worrying about Blackmore taking his place in the practice.

He wished he could do more to cheer Tris up, but Tristan did make it clear that he appreciated the support he could give.

* * *

After about a month and a half, Blackmore's time at Skeldate drew to a close. Toward the end, Siegfried mainly kept Blackmore around the surgery so James and Tristan could handle the call outs, a change he accepted gracefully if reluctantly.

It was on the last day that he was there that all of Blackmore's machinations finally revealed themselves.

James had just gotten back from checking on some new cows at Handshaw's farm and was about to walk into surgery when he heard voices: Siegfried's and Blackmore's.

"…and I learned a lot from you while I was here, Mr. Farnon."

"Oh Thomas, no need to go back to being formal just because it's your last day here. Siegfried is still fine. And let me say that you've been very helpful here while Tristan was recuperating. I'm sure when you finish your studies and become qualified, you'll have a bright future ahead of you."

"Thank you, Siegfried. It means a lot to hear that from you. And…it's interesting that you should bring it up. My future I mean."

"Oh?"

Just then, Tristan came down the stairs, a quizzical look on his face upon seeing James listening at the door.

"I say, James," he whispered. "What are you….?"

James frantically waved his hands to hush him. Tristan furrowed his eyebrows even more and stood next to him so he could listen too.

"…and as I said, I learned a lot by watching you on the job and from the discussions we've had. And from Mr. Herriot as well."

"Yes, James is quite resourceful. Hard worker too. Any student could benefit from his influence."

"I agree. And I think I could learn even more from both of you once I become qualified and perhaps return here to Darrowby."

"You mean…come back here and become an assistant in the practice?"

Tristan's face darkened, but thankfully he kept quiet and only leaned in a little more to listen.

"Yes, exactly. If that is all right with you and Mr. Herriot, of course. I should be qualified later this year after the next round of exams and can be ready to work as your assistant immediately afterwards. And maybe, one day, I could be considered for a partnership?"

Siegfried chuckled. "My word, you do set your sights high, don't you?"

Anger flashed in Tristan's eyes, but that was soon extinguished and replaced by despair. He began to slink away, but James grabbed his arm and held fast.

" _James…please…."_ Tris mouthed.

James shook his head and kept his hold on him. He knew that Tris would be crushed if this conversation went the way Blackmore was expecting it to and couldn't blame Tristan for not wanting to be around to listen to Siegfried's response if it did go that way. Nevertheless James held fast. Siegfried was frequently impossible and often unpredictable, but he was still certain that Tristan would want to hear what his elder brother had to say.

"However, Thomas, perhaps it has escaped your notice that I already have a third member in my practice, and at this point, I'm not sure if a fourth person would be needed on a permanent basis."

"On the contrary, I have noticed, and if I may say so, Siegfried, I think the practice could do better."

"Oh do you?"

"Yes, yes I think so. Over these last few weeks, I've seen how busy your practice is, and I believe it would benefit far more from having three fully qualified vets on staff rather than having to carry the burden of a perpetual student who probably won't become qualified in the foreseeable future. If ever. Especially when that person might not be willing to shoulder his share of the work and enable the practice to grow. Honestly, why should you have to drain valuable time and resources from this thriving practice you've built into such a hopeless cause?"

"Hopeless cause? Is that how you'd assess Tristan's value to the practice? In your burgeoning professional opinion, of course."

"Well…yes. Yes, I would. Mind you, it isn't personal…."

"Oh no, of course it isn't. I wouldn't expect that from you. However, in regards to your purely professional evaluation of Tristan's work within this practice, I'm afraid you've shown some of the poorest judgment I have ever seen."

"But…I…Siegfried…I thought…well, I thought…."

"You thought? You thought what? That you're a more capable vet than Tristan? Well then, let me disabuse you of that notion, Mr. Blackmore. You may have done a good job learning from books and taking exams, but you have far to go before you can place yourself in Tristan's company. Take just this last week when you misdiagnosed that sow on Dent's farm as having brucellosis and I had to explain to you why it was actually mycotoxicosis."

"An honest mistake. But I'm sure with the experience I could gain here, I wouldn't…."

"An honest mistake perhaps, but Tristan wouldn't have made that mistake. Do you know why? Because, unlike you, he knows that he can't always stick to his initial diagnosis when treating an animal. He gathers information and adjusts his ideas if needed rather than just looking to confirm his theories. That's not something you can learn from a textbook, Mr. Blackmore. Nor is it something you can gain from experience unless you have the right sort of temperament. A temperament I fear you lack. Then there was the little matter of Mrs. Ellison's cat."

"The cat? But that was a first-rate job. At least, I thought so."

"Yes, it certainly was. However, you implied that Tristan mainly assisted with the operation when I know for a fact that can't have been the case because I removed the stitches from that cat. Only Tristan could have pulled off the delicate work that I saw when I examined her."

"I happen to have had a great deal of experience with stitching up dogs and cats. And I dare say many would tell you that I'm rather good at it."

"Good, maybe, but not on Tristan's level. Besides, who do you think taught him that particular style of stitching? I've never been able to teach it to any of my assistants. Not even James with all his considerable talent has been able to master it the way Tristan did. Or do you think that I don't recognize my own stitching style?"

"N-no of course not. I didn't mean to imply…."

"But that's exactly what you did do, isn't it? Professional dishonesty, Mr. Blackmore, explicit or not, is never welcome in my practice. When I said that you could learn something from your time spent assisting Tristan in the surgery, I meant just that. Because all of us continue to learn from each other around here, and I have little use for a man who believes himself so superior that he couldn't possibly benefit from what his colleagues could teach them. No matter how young they are."

James smiled and shook his head, relieved that Siegfried had acted as he firmly believed he would. That relief grew into delight as he watched a wide, joyous smile appear on Tris' face.

"One last thing," Siegfried continued. "You also seem to have forgotten that Tristan's last name also happens to be Farnon. A small fact that I would like to think would have made you reconsider your decision to speak to me the way you have about my brother."

James shuddered. As he had talked, Siegfried's voice had become lower and infused with venom. Unlike the times when Siegfried flew into a loud, boisterous, but short-lived temper, this seething calm was reserved for when something or someone had angered him to the core of his being and would not be forgiven easily.

"You come here to work in my practice, live in my home, eat at my table and then you have the nerve to denigrate my brother like that. And if that wasn't enough, you have the further impudence to act as if you could beguile me into giving you the position that is rightfully his. A hard-working and moderately talented vet you might be Mr. Blackmore, but you are also decidedly lacking in integrity and tact. My suggestion to you is to take a hard look at your own character before you even think about attempting to join a practice in the future."

"I, I…yes, Mr. Farnon, I understand. Please accept my…."

"No! I don't want to hear another word out of you. Leave my house at once while you still have a shred of goodwill with me. But know this, _Mr_. Blackmore, the reason my brother's position with this practice is secure has absolutely nothing to do with any fraternal affection I might have and has everything to do with his potential as a first class vet when he becomes qualified. _When_ , Mr. Blackmore, not if. Now, get out of my sight!"

The sound of footsteps moved closer to the door, causing James and Tristan to scramble away to stand next to the clock in the hallway. They watched as Blackmore trudged out and headed for the stairs, his demeanor far less confident and satisfied as it had been earlier that day. He mounted the first step and then paused to glance over at the gleeful smirks on James' and Tristan's faces. Tristan made sure to give Blackmore a spirited little wave before he went back to climbing the stairs so he could gather his things and leave.

James and Tristan snickered together for a moment before clearing their throats and walking into the surgery. Siegfried was sitting at the desk, paging through the daybook.

"Ah James, there you are," Siegfried said. "And little brother. James, how did that phlebotomy I sent you out for go?"

"Hello Siegfried. And it went just fine. You were right, he is one of the calmest bulls I've ever seen."

"Good, good," Siegfried nodded. "Now, tonight I'm going out to see Mother. James, I believe it's your night for evening call outs."

"Yes it is," James said grimly. "Let's just hope there are no calls tonight for a calving. I've had enough of putting calf beds back into cows to last me a lifetime. Or for at least a month anyway."

"Yes, I'm sure you have," Siegfried chuckled. "We can but hope, James. That's all we can do. Oh, and Tristan, before you go running off on yet another misadventure, I have one more job for you today."

Tristan rolled his eyes. "What is it this time?"

"Now don't look at me like that," Siegfried scolded. "It's just a little injection. Hardly a job at all."

"An injection? Come on, Siegfried, what's the catch?"

"Catch? There's no catch. It's just as I said, a simple injection on a pig."

"Which pig?"

There was a pause. "Dent's sow."

"What?! You mean that maniacal creature that attacks everyone who comes near her? The one that almost disemboweled me when I had to lance that hematoma on her ear?"

"That's the one," Siegfried said. "And what are you complaining about, Tristan? I seem to remember you telling me you had no trouble at all in treating that hematoma. Which is precisely why I'm sending you for this job. Clearly, you know best how to handle her which should make it even easier for you, little brother."

Tristan glared at him for only a few seconds before smirking and letting out a snort. "Oh all right, fine. I'll deal with the wretched creature then. But after that, I'm stopping off for a pint. You're welcome to join me, James."

"All right, maybe just one or two," James grinned at him. "I'm just going to spend some time with Helen first and then I'll meet you there. If that's all right with you, Siegfried."

"Certainly, James," Siegfried said with a wave of his hand. "As long as you're back by the end of evening surgery."

"Right, come on, Tris."

James and Tristan walked out of the surgery, closing the door behind them and laughing as they went out into the hallway.

* * *

Meanwhile, Siegfried went back to sorting through the paperwork on his desk, a frown on his face. He was fairly certain that he had kept the numbers in the ledger straight, but wanted to check with Helen to be sure. He paused to offer up a silent moment of gratitude for Helen. Siegfried couldn't imagine not having her invaluable assistance at the practice anymore.

Once he had finished with the ledger, Siegfried leaned back in his chair. He was certain that he would not be welcoming Blackmore back to his practice ever again if he needed additional help in the future. Still, he also made the decision to keep the conversation he just had with him out of his report back to Grier. Blackmore had turned out to be an infuriating cad, but he had been a solid worker overall. Siegfried figured it was best to keep quiet and hope that Blackmore learned something from this debacle and would change his ways in the future.

Then he swiveled around in his chair to face the door and chuckled.

' _Ah, little brother, you always think that I don't know when you're eavesdropping. And now you're having a very bad influence on poor, old James.'_

Siegfried let out another chuckle and smiled fondly as he thought about the junior members of his practice.

A bark out in the waiting room caught Siegfried's attention. He took his glasses off, stuffed them into his pocket and rose to his feet. He moved swiftly toward the door, already curious about what would be waiting for him on the other side.


End file.
